Why do we expect anything? What did I miss?
I hope that if Paizo does end up with a Rakshasa reimagining, they cling a little closer to Indian mythology and drop the tiger thing (which, as I understand it, was a confusion on the art order between Rakshasa, the spirit, and Rakasta, the catfolk from Mystara).
Why do we expect anything? What did I miss?
James Jacobs has mentioned that they're looking at some Indian myths and monsters. The multiple kinds of lamias being one example. When someone mentioned Rakshasas, he indicated that a revisioning of them was logical and/or likely.
Creative Director
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Pathfinder #9 will have a big article about rakshasas in Golarion. We'll be looking at Indian myth for some of their flavor, and while now and then you'll see a tiger-headed rakshasa, on Golarion, these guys can have a wide range of animal heads. Tigers, hawks, flies, pathers, boars, apes, crocodiles, etc.
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Pathfinder #9 will have a big article about rakshasas in Golarion. We'll be looking at Indian myth for some of their flavor, and while now and then you'll see a tiger-headed rakshasa, on Golarion, these guys can have a wide range of animal heads. Tigers, hawks, flies, pathers, boars, apes, crocodiles, etc.
I remember 1st edition Rakshasas had a whole range of animal heads. It wasn't until 3E that it was limited to Tigers.
Couldn’t you just squeeze human in among the other heads ;)
I don’t think it would disruptive and would appeal to us gamers who want a more authentic Indian feel like what was in the Ramayana. I know individually we could have different rakshasas as I already do, but there is nothing like having the official thumbs up.
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Creative Director
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Couldn’t you just squeeze human in among the other heads ;)
I don’t think it would disruptive and would appeal to us gamers who want a more authentic Indian feel like what was in the Ramayana. I know individually we could have different rakshasas as I already do, but there is nothing like having the official thumbs up.
Rakshasas are masters of disguise; they can easily (and usually do) appear as humans. Their true form is that of an animal-headed human with backwards hands, though.
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Rakshasas are masters of disguise; they can easily (and usually do) appear as humans. Their true form is that of an animal-headed human with backwards hands, though.
Animal-headed? Not 'tiger-headed?' So we could see some Rakshasa like the group in the back of the 1st Edition Dieties & Demigods, with tiger, hawk and boar-headed Rakshasa attacking a party on the astral plane? Oooh.
My favorite Rakshasa were the one's from Zelazny's Lord of Light. :)
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Creative Director
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Animal-headed? Not 'tiger-headed?' So we could see some Rakshasa like the group in the back of the 1st Edition Dieties & Demigods, with tiger, hawk and boar-headed Rakshasa attacking a party on the astral plane? Oooh.
I can guarantee that you'll be seeing rakshasas with non-tiger heads, in fact.
I remember 1st edition Rakshasas had a whole range of animal heads. It wasn't until 3E that it was limited to Tigers.
Hell, in 2nd Edition they presented greater rakshasa ruhks, rajahs and maharajahs with multiple heads. There was a DUNGEON adventure (Twilight's Last Gleaming from Issue #35) that featured a maharajah with five heads: a human, a crocodile, an ape, a mantis and a tiger.
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Creative Director
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I remember 1st edition Rakshasas had a whole range of animal heads. It wasn't until 3E that it was limited to Tigers.Hell, in 2nd Edition they presented greater rakshasa ruhks, rajahs and maharajahs with multiple heads. There was a DUNGEON adventure (Twilight's Last Gleaming from Issue #35) that featured a maharajah with five heads: a human, a crocodile, an ape, a mantis and a tiger.
Yup! I wrote that adventure, actually, so that one's a really good example of how I prefer to handle rakshasas. :)
Yup! I wrote that adventure, actually, so that one's a really good example of how I prefer to handle rakshasas. :)
Wow...that slipped right by me. Sorry 'bout that!
Pathfinder #9 will have a big article about rakshasas in Golarion. We'll be looking at Indian myth for some of their flavor, and while now and then you'll see a tiger-headed rakshasa, on Golarion, these guys can have a wide range of animal heads. Tigers, hawks, flies, pathers, boars, apes, crocodiles, etc.
Fly heads? That'll be interesting.
I'm glad the Rakshasa will be making an appearance in Golarion; I always did like the fuzzy bastards.
My favorite Rakshasa were the one's from Zelazny's Lord of Light. :)
Look what you've made me do: Now I have to go re-read that book.
Seriously, that was an awesome book.
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Creative Director
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Does this mean that we may see something on Ravanna, the ten-headed god of the rakshasas?
Probably not. That version of Ravanna is something we did in Dragon, and that incarnation is not open content. And I'm not sure how interested I am in doing up a NEW version of Ravanna. I'm not even sure if Golarion's rakshasas are INTO deities yet, actually...
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Does this mean that we may see something on Ravanna, the ten-headed god of the rakshasas?Probably not. That version of Ravanna is something we did in Dragon, and that incarnation is not open content. And I'm not sure how interested I am in doing up a NEW version of Ravanna. I'm not even sure if Golarion's rakshasas are INTO deities yet, actually...
If I may, which issue was that in?
Does the type of head matter? Should a mantis-headed rakshasa act any differently than an ape-headed or tiger-headed one?I think this is something we're still working out.
After perusing the section on rakshasas in my PDF copy of PF#9, I didn't see anything about the head type affecting a rakshasa's behaviors/abilities. Is this an idea that didn't pan out, or is this something we will see expanded on in another product?
Also, there is mention that multi-headed rakshasa gain additional heads by completely subjugating souls. Is there any more information on this process? Are these mortal souls? Other rakshasa? Do they have to be from creatures of a certain power level? Etc...
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Creative Director
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After perusing the section on rakshasas in my PDF copy of PF#9, I didn't see anything about the head type affecting a rakshasa's behaviors/abilities. Is this an idea that didn't pan out, or is this something we will see expanded on in another product?
It's something that didn't pan out.
Also, there is mention that multi-headed rakshasa gain additional heads by completely subjugating souls. Is there any more information on this process? Are these mortal souls? Other rakshasa? Do they have to be from creatures of a certain power level? Etc...
No more information than what's in the article, or perhaps the new monster sections.
OK, thanks.
Rakshasa have long been my absolute favorite monster in D&D and I'm so excited they're going to get a write-up. I was wondering what we might expect to see in their write up? Perhaps a PrC like Tiger Mask from Dragon?
Rakshasas are Japanese pro wrestlers??? :D
(Does anyone here even get that joke?)
Odd question, but while I'm thinking about it...
I've read several (gaming) accounts of rakshasas that rgue for them treating theitr females as an underclass or simply inferior to the males.
But if rakshasas are shapeshifters, do they even have genders like humans do? You'd think that a female rakshasa could flee her own pride, morph herself to male, and join up with another group. Unless rakshasas can somehow smell or sense the true nature of another rakshasa?
Odd question, but while I'm thinking about it...
I've read several (gaming) accounts of rakshasas that rgue for them treating theitr females as an underclass or simply inferior to the males.
But if rakshasas are shapeshifters, do they even have genders like humans do? You'd think that a female rakshasa could flee her own pride, morph herself to male, and join up with another group. Unless rakshasas can somehow smell or sense the true nature of another rakshasa?
Given what is said in Curse of the Crimson Throne, yes, they have genders.